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AMERICANS VIEW HIGHER
EDUCATION AS KEY TO AMERICAN DREAM
BLACK AND HISPANIC PARENTS VALUE HIGHER
EDUCATION THE MOST
San Jose and New York -- In today's high-tech economy, Americans believe
that a college education has replaced a high school diploma as the gateway to the
middle class, according to the most extensive public opinion survey ever conducted
about Americans' views on higher education.
The survey, prepared by Public Agenda and released nationwide by several independent
nonprofit organizations, finds that a towering 87% of Americans believe that "a
college education has become as important as a high school diploma used to be."
And three out of four Americans (76%) think that there cannot be too many people
with education and training beyond high school.
"This is a dramatic shift in Americans' views about higher education,"
said John Immerwahr, author of the report. "Back in 1993, a majority of Americans
thought that too many people were going to college."
Parents of high school students, meanwhile, are just as resolute when talking about
education and training for their own children. Almost two-thirds (62%) of those surveyed
believe that a college education is "absolutely necessary" for their children.
"American views about the importance of higher education have now coalesced,"
said Patrick Callan, President of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher
Education, an independent organization working to improve higher education policy.
"This is an important change in attitudes."
The value placed on a college education, however, is highest among those who have
the lowest rates of college participation: African American and Hispanic parents
are more likely to emphasize higher education than either white parents or the population
as a whole.
When asked to choose a single factor that a young person most needs to succeed
in the world today, 65% of Hispanic parents and 47% of African American parents select
a college education. In contrast, only 33% of white parents choose a college education
as the top choice -- though this percentage still outranks the other choices, such
as "knowing how to get along with people" and "a good work ethic."
This finding shatters a persistent stereotype throughout much of America -- that
low levels of preparation for college can be traced to parents who don't value higher
education enough.
In contrast, participation rates among these three groups -- as measured by the
percentage of 18 to 24 year olds enrolled in higher education -- are lowest among
Hispanics (20%), followed by African Americans (30%). Whites have almost double the
participation rate (37%) as Hispanics.
"Providing people with opportunities for higher education is the way American
society promotes social and economic mobility," said Deborah Wadsworth, President
of Public Agenda. "For now, most Americans are generally satisfied with the
availability of higher education. However, tougher economic times or changes that
violate the public's values might cloud this rosy outlook."
College Costs
The survey also finds that Americans have a clear sense of who has the most difficulty
paying for college: almost half (46%) of Americans say that students from low-income
families have less opportunity for college than other groups. In contrast, only 16%
of Americans say that students from middle-class families have less opportunity than
other groups.
The report finds that the vast majority of high school parents (69%) who expect
their children to go to college are at least "somewhat worried" about paying
for tuition and other expenses. At the same time, 93% of parents believe they will
find a way to pay the price.
Although Americans are willing to make sacrifices to send their children to college,
they want colleges and universities to do a better job of keeping tuition low without
cutting quality. Nearly two-thirds of Americans "strongly agree" that colleges
should be doing a "much better job" of keeping down their costs.
These findings are drawn from a broad study of public attitudes about higher education,
including issues such as college preparation and remediation, priorities for colleges,
and the importance of teaching analytical thinking and other life skills.
Great Expectations:
How the Public and Parents -- White, African American and Hispanic -- View Higher
Education is based on a telephone survey of 1,015 adults, plus oversamples
of white, African American, and Hispanic parents of high-school-age children.
John Immerwahr, author of the report, is a Senior Research Fellow at Public Agenda
and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Villanova University.
The report was released today by four independent nonprofit organizations: The
National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education promotes public policies that
enhance Americans' opportunities for education and training beyond high school. Public
Agenda regularly reports on public attitudes about major policy issues. The Consortium
for Policy Research in Education conducts and publishes research on education issues.
The National Center for Postsecondary Improvement identifies and analyzes the challenges
facing postsecondary education.
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